A number of conventionally prepared food items include froth or foam. For example, cappuccino, milk shakes, and some soups may have froth or foam. While conventionally prepared food items may be considered preferable by some consumers, other consumers are increasingly demanding the convenience of consumer prepared instant food alternatives. In order to accommodate consumer preferences, manufacturers have developed instant food products which give consumers the food products they demand from a convenient instant food product by developing instant food items which have the same or similar characteristics as conventionally prepared food items. One challenge for manufacturers is how to produce a food product having froth or foam from an instant food item.
One prior solution used to manufacture an instant food product which has froth or foam is through the use of powdered foaming compositions which produce foam upon reconstitution in a liquid. Foaming powder compositions have been used to impart froth or foamed texture to a wide variety of foods and beverages. For example, foaming compositions have been used to impart froth or foamed texture to instant cappuccino and other coffee mixes, instant refreshing beverage mixes, instant soup mixes, instant milkshake mixes, instant dessert toppings, instant sauces, hot or cold cereals, and the like, when combined with water, milk, or other suitable liquid.
One prior method for manufacturing a foaming composition is provided by U.S. Pat. No. 6,713,113 which discloses a method for manufacturing a powdered soluble foaming ingredient comprised of a matrix containing carbohydrate, protein, and entrapped pressurized gas produced by heating the composition to above the glass transition temperature while contacting with pressurized gas in a pressure vessel, and then quenching by rapid release of gas pressure or cooling to reduce the temperature of the composition to below the glass transition temperature of the composition and prevent loss of pressurized gas from closed pores present in the matrix. Heating the composition above the glass transition temperature can potentially lead to undesirable nonoxidative browning (Maillard) reactions that can adversely affect the appearance, flavor and shelf-life of packaged food products. Also, heating a composition inside a pressure vessel to above its glass transition temperature typically requires use of highly-specialized equipment, prolonged processing times, and substantial energy, all of which can adversely increase equipment and manufacturing costs and substantially decrease production speeds.
International Pub. No. WO 2004/019699 discloses another process for manufacturing a foaming composition where a protein composition is subjected to gasification with pressurized gas in a pressure vessel at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the composition, followed by quenching or cooling to reduce the temperature of the composition below the glass transition temperature and prevent loss of pressurized gas from closed pores present in the matrix. The foaming composition preferably contains a plasticizer such as a carbohydrate polyol or sugar alcohol and the foaming composition that forms the basis of all working examples disclosed therein contains carbohydrate glycerol at a level of 5% by weight.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2003/0026836 discloses a method for forming tablets or powders of carbohydrate-based pharmaceuticals or foods which includes subjecting tablets or powders which comprise a beverage base such as soluble coffee, foamed powder, sugar and creamer to pressure and temperature above the glass transition temperature to produce a tablet or powder with increased solubility or dispersability on contact with water. In addition, a method is disclosed which promotes the dissolution or dispersion of a tablet or non-foaming powder by subjecting the tablet or powder to pressurized gas at temperature above the glass transition temperature while in a pressure vessel, followed by quenching or cooling effective to reduce the temperature to below the glass transition temperature so that pressurized gas is entrapped in closed pores present therein to promote dissolution or dispersion of the tablet or powder on contact with water.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006/0040033 and 2006/0040034 disclose methods for forming non-carbohydrate and non-protein foaming compositions, respectively, where protein or carbohydrate particles, respectively, are pressurized with gas in a pressure vessel, heated to a temperature above the glass transition temperature, cooled to a temperature below the glass transition temperature, and depressurized, effective to entrap pressurized gas in a plurality of sealed internal voids present in the particles. Although these methods provide carbohydrate-free or protein-free foaming compositions which are less susceptible to browning and formation of off-flavors during processing than other compositions which contain both protein and carbohydrate, they require the use of specialized equipment, application of heating and cooling, and long processing times.
U.S. Pat. App. Pub. No. 2006/0040023 discloses a method for manufacturing powdered soluble foaming compositions having increased foaming capacity, which comprise amorphous particles having atmospheric pressure gas held in open internal voids thereof. The method involves applying an external gas pressure to a powdered soluble spray-dried composition comprising amorphous particles having sealed vacuous internal voids and depressurizing the composition such that at least a portion of vacuous internal voids of the composition are opened to the atmosphere and filled with atmospheric pressure gas. Although the method has the advantage of being able to be conducted rapidly without heating or cooling, it does not entrap pressurized gas in the particles, which limits the foaming capacity of the composition relative to those manufactured according to methods that entrap pressurized gas in closed pores or sealed internal voids.
Although existing methods may be used to produce foaming food and beverage additives, there remains a need for a method for producing foaming compositions that can be used to hold and deliver large amounts of pressurized gas without the drawbacks of current methods. For example, existing methods subject the target compositions to high temperatures above the glass transition temperature which may result in browning of the composition, and off-flavors being produced. Additionally, existing methods provide compositions with pressurized gas entrapped in closed pores or sealed internal voids, and, although the volume of entrapped pressurized gas may decrease over time, such as from damage incurred by the composition during shipping and handling, contact with moisture in instant food or beverage mixes, or exposure to atmospheric water vapor, these compositions cannot be simply and rapidly manufactured on a large scale using conventional pressurization equipment without the need to conduct heating and cooling. Moreover, the existing compositions do not provide a conveniently refillable source of pressurized gas, especially after leaving the manufacturing facility.
The present invention may be used to fulfill these needs, as well as other needs and benefits, as will be apparent from the following description of embodiments of the present invention.